Aluminum titanate has low thermal expansivity, excellent thermal shock resistance and a high melting point. Therefore, aluminum titanate has been expected as a porous material used such as for a catalyst support for automobile exhaust gas treatment or a diesel particulate filter (DPF), and developed in various ways.
Patent Literature 1 proposes that in order to obtain a sintered aluminum titanate body stable at high temperatures, the surface of a green body made of aluminum titanate is coated with an oxide or solid solution of one or more metals selected from magnesium, iron, silicon, titanium, and aluminum.
Patent Literature 2 proposes that in order to produce a sintered aluminum titanate body stable at high temperatures, a magnesium compound and a silicon compound are added to aluminum titanate, the resultant mixture is then formed into a green body, and the greed body is sintered.
Patent Literature 3 proposes that in order to a sintered aluminum titanate body having high strength without impairing high melting point and low thermal expansivity characteristics possessed by aluminum titanate and less degradation in mechanical strength due to repeated thermal history, a substance formed by adding magnesium oxide and silicon oxide to aluminum titanate is sintered.
Patent Literatures 4 and 5 propose a method for producing a sintered aluminum magnesium titanate body in which not less than 10% by mole to less than 100% by mole magnesium is contained in the total amount of magnesium and aluminum.